Year In Review In Memoriam 2011

Year In Review In Memoriam 2011

Year In Review In Memoriam 2011, In 2011, we said goodbye to icons of every kind: actors, musicians, reality stars, wrestlers, producers and more. Here, we pay tribute to some of those we lost this year.

Amy Winehouse, July 23, age 27: Known for her soulful voice and beehive hairdo, Amy shot to fame in 2006 with her Grammy-winning album "Back to Black." The British songstress was infamous for drug use and her self-destructive lifestyle. She died of accidental alcohol poisoning, or as the coroner deemed it, "death by misadventure."

Elizabeth Taylor, March 23, age 79: During a career that spanned seven decades, this Oscar-winning actress starred in classics like "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "Cleopatra." Her long list of movie credits is almost eclipsed by her list of lovers: She was married eight times to seven husbands. Also a great humanitarian, Liz co-founded American Foundation for AIDS Research. After struggling with health problems for much of her life, she finally succumbed to heart failure.

Steve Jobs, Oct. 5, age 56: Steve was the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple. He is listed as an inventor on more than 300 U.S. patents, including the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Seven years after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he died of complications from the disease.

Jeff Conaway, May 27, age 60: Jeff rose to fame in the late '70s, thanks to starring roles as Kenickie in "Grease" and Bobby Wheeler on "Taxi." After struggling with alcohol and drug addiction for decades, he was featured in the first season of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" in 2008. He died of multiple causes, including a major internal infection, after being taken off life support by his family.

Jani Lane, Aug. 10, age 47: Born John Kennedy Oswald, Jani is best known as the lead singer of '80s glam metal band Warrant. Over the years, however, he left and rejoined the band a number of times. In 2005, Jani appeared on "Celebrity Fit Club 2." He died in a hotel room of acute alcohol poisoning.

Montae "M-Bone" Talbert, May 15, age 22: M-Bone was a member of rap group Cali Swag District, which rose to fame with the hit song "Teach Me How to Dougie." He died of injuries sustained during a drive-by shooting.

Clarice Taylor, May 30, age 93: Clarice is best known for playing Anna Huxtable, Bill Cosby's mother on "The Cosby Show." In 1986, she earned an Emmy nomination for the role. She also starred as Harriet, David's grandmother, on "Sesame Street." She died of congestive heart failure.

Peter Falk, June 23, age 83: Peter played the title character on long-running cop series "Columbo." He also starred on the big screen in movies like "Murder, Inc.," "Pocketful of Miracles" and "The Princess Bride." He died of cardiorespiratory arrest, with pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease as underlying causes.

Pete Postlethwaite, Jan. 2, age 64: Best known for playing Mr. Kobayashi in "The Usual Suspects," this British actor also starred in "The Town," "Inception" and "In the Name of the Father," which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. In 1994, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Pete died of pancreatic cancer after a long battle with the illness.

Clarence Clemons, June 18, age 69: Known simply as Big Man, Clarence was an integral member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band for 40 years. His soulful saxophone can be heard on "Born to Run," "Thunder Road," "Dancing in the Dark" and many more Springsteen classics. Just days after shooting a music video with Lady Gaga for "The Edge of Glory," on which he played sax, he died of complications from a stroke.

Betty Ford, July 8, age 93: The wife of President Gerald Ford, Betty served as first lady from 1974 to 1977. Over the course of her life, she put a face to two formerly taboo ailments -- breast cancer and alcoholism/addiction -- after battling them in the public eye. In 1982, she co-founded Betty Ford Center, the first addiction treatment facility with an equal numbers of beds for both men and women. She died of natural causes.

"Uncle Frank" Potenza, Aug. 23, age 77: Jimmy Kimmel's real Uncle Frank was a New York City policeman-turned-security guard. In 2003, he started appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in bits with his ex-wife and the show's security guards. He died of cancer.

Heavy D, Nov. 8, age 44: Born Dwight Arrington Myers, this rap legend was the leader of Heavy D & the Boyz. Heavy also penned the theme song for '90s sketch comedy show "In Living Color." In recent years, he started acting and had a recurring role on "Boston Public" and parts in "The Cider House Rules" and "Tower Heist." His cause of death is not known, but police say there were no signs of foul play.

Andy Rooney, Nov. 4, age 92: For 33 years, Andy had a weekly segment on CBS's "60 Minutes" titled "A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney." His segments earned him three Emmys over the course of his career. Less than a month after his last "60 Minutes" appearance, he died of complications following minor surgery.

Ryan Dunn, June 20, age 34: Ryan shot to fame as part of the "Jackass" crew and was featured in all three of the show's movie adaptations. But it was no stunt that cost Ryan his life. Dunn was speeding and driving drunk when he veered off the road and into a tree near his Pennsylvania home, killing both him and his passenger.

Nick Ashford, Aug. 22, age 70: Nick made up one half of husband-and-wife singing and songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson. Together, he and Valerie Simpson wrote some of Motown's biggest hits, like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "You're All I Need to Get By." As performers, they're best known for 1984's "Solid." After being diagnosed with throat cancer, he underwent chemotherapy, but died of complications from the illness.

Jack LaLanne, Jan. 23, age 96: For over 70 years, this fitness pioneer encouraged Americans to get in shape. In 1936, he opened the nation's first fitness club, and his televised exercise program, "The Jack LaLanne Show," aired from the 1951 until 1985. He died of respiratory failure brought on by pneumonia.

Mike Starr, March 8, age 44: Mike was the original bassist for grunge band Alice in Chains, playing with the group from its 1987 formation until 1993. In 2009, he appeared on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew." Around the time of his death, he was prepping to make a comeback with alt rock band Days of the New. His cause of death has not been released.

Bubba Smith, Aug. 3, age 66: Initially a Super Bowl champ, Bubba began acting after his football career ended. His most famous role is Moses Hightower from the "Police Academy" movie series. He died from acute phentermine intoxication caused by taking too many diet pills.

Laura Ziskin, June 12, age 61: Laura helped tear down barriers for women in the film production industry. In 2002, she became the first woman to produce the Oscar telecast alone, and she also ventured into the male-dominant world of special-effects movies when she produced the "Spider-Man" films. In 2004, she developed breast cancer, which eventually caused her death.

Andy Whitfield, Sept. 11, age 39: This Welsh actor was the initial star of Starz's "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." He had to abandon the role after the first season, when it was detected that he had non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Andy succumbed to cancer 18 months after his initial diagnosis. He left behind a wife and two daughters.

"Macho Man" Randy Savage, May 20, age 58: Born Randy Mario Poffo, Macho Man made his professional wrestling debut in 1973. Dressed in flamboyant outfits, complete with cowboy hats and oversize sunglasses, Randy won many WWE, WWF and WCW championships with his signature flying-elbow drop off the top rope. He died of a massive heart attack while driving with his wife.

Annette Charles, Aug. 3, age 63: Annette is best known for playing sexy Cha Cha DiGregorio in "Grease." During the 1970s, she guest-starred on shows like "The Mod Squad" and "The Bionic Woman." She died of lung cancer.

Joe Frazier, Nov. 7, age 67: Smokin' Joe Frazier was an Olympic and world heavyweight boxing champion. In 1971, he defeated Muhammad Ali in "Fight of the Century." He died of liver cancer.

Gil Cates, Oct. 31, age 77: Gil is credited with reviving the Oscars, which he produced a record 14 times. In 1991, he earned an Emmy for the 63rd annual Academy Awards telecast, and in 2005, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His cause of death is still under investigation.

Cory Smoot, Nov. 3, age 34: Known by fans by his stage name Flattus Maximus, Cory played guitar in hard rock band Gwar. He was found dead in his tour bus bunk by his bandmates. A cause of death has not yet been released.

Sherwood Schwartz, July 12, age 94: Sherwood created two of the most popular sitcoms of the '60s and '70s: "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch." He also wrote the theme songs for both shows. Sherwood died of natural causes.

Jane Russell, Feb. 28, age 89: Jane starred in over 20 films over the course of her career, the most famous being "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "The Outlaw." Her buxom body made her a popular pin-up with servicemen during World War II. She died of respiratory failure.

Mary Fickett, Sept. 8, age 83: Mary was an original cast member on ABC's "All My Children," playing Ruth Martin. In 1973, Mary became the first actor to win an Emmy for a daytime television performance, thanks to her character's protests against the Vietnam War. She died from complications of Alzheimer's disease.

Frances Bay, Sept. 15, age 92: Character actress Frances made a career of playing quirky old women, including Adam Sandler's grandmother in "Happy Gilmore," Mrs. Tremond on "Twin Peaks" and "the marble rye lady" on "Seinfeld." She died of complications from pneumonia.

Roberts Blossom, July 8, age 87: Roberts may be best remembered as "Old Man Marley" from "Home Alone." He also appeared in "Doc Hollywood," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and cult horror movie "Deranged." He died of natural causes.

Nate Dogg, March 15, age 41: Born Nathaniel Hale, Nate Dogg's soulful hooks were a critical part of the creation of West Coast rap's G-Funk sound. He was a four-time Grammy nominee for his collaborations on projects like Ludacris' "Area Codes" and Warren G's "Regulate." The rapper died from complications of multiple strokes.

Michael Gough, March 17, age 94: Over the course of his 65-year career, Michael appeared in over 150 movies and TV shows. His most famous role was as Alfred Pennyworth, loyal butler to Bruce Wayne in the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher "Batman" movies. He died after being sick for a year.

Russell Armstrong, Aug. 15, age 47: Businessman Russell was married to Taylor Armstrong, star of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." The estranged couple had three children together. He committed suicide in his Mulholland Drive home.

Sada Thompson, May 4, age 83: Fans of the TV drama "Family" will remember Sara as Kate Lawrence, the matriarch on the 1970s series. The actress won an Emmy in 1978 for the role. She died of lung disease.

Sylvia Robinson, Sept. 29, age 75: Credited as the mother of modern hip-hop, Sylvia co-founded hip-hop label Sugar Hill Records. She co-wrote and produced Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's "The Message" and Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight." Prior to her work with Sugarhill Records, she was half of singing duo Mickey & Sylvia, whose song "Love Is Strange" was a No. 1 R&B hit in 1957. She died of congestive heart failure.

David Nelson, Jan. 11, age 74: During the 1950s and '60s, David starred on "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" with his parents and his brother, Ricky. After the show ended, he continued to act, direct and produce. He died of complications from colon cancer.

Jack Kevorkian, June 3, age 83: Known as Dr. Death, Jack allegedly assisted in 130 patients' deaths via physician-assisted suicide. In 2007, he was released from his 10- to 25-year prison sentence for second-degree murder after just eight years, on the condition that he would never offer suicide advice again. He died from a thrombosis after being hospitalized with kidney problems and pneumonia.

Mike DeStefano, March 6, age 43: Mike placed fourth on Season 7 of NBC's "Last Comic Standing." Much of his material came from his heroin addiction, although he'd been clean for more than a decade at the time of his death. Mike, who was HIV positive, died of a heart attack.

Kenneth Mars, Feb. 12, age 75: Kenneth was best known for his Mel Brooks collaborations. He starred as Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in "The Producers" and one-armed, eye-patched Inspector Hans Wilhelm Fredrich Kemp in "Young Frankenstein." He died of pancreatic cancer.

James Arness, June 3, age 88: For 20 years, James played one of TV's favorite cowboys, Marshal Matt Dillon, on "Gunsmoke." He later played Zeb Macahan on "How the West Was Won." James died of natural causes.

Gerard Smith, April 20, age 36: Gerard was the bassist of popular experimental rock band TV on the Radio. He played on the band's albums "Return to Cookie Mountain," "Dear Science" and "Nine Types of Light," which was released just a week prior to his passing. Gerard died after battling lung cancer.

Len Lesser, Feb. 16, age 88: Len's most famous role was as Uncle Leo on "Seinfeld." He also appeared on the big screen in "Kelly's Heroes" with Clint Eastwood. He died of cancer-related pneumonia.

John Dye, Jan. 10, age 47: For eight seasons, John played Andrew, the angel of death, on "Touched by an Angel." He died of heart-related problems.

Yvette Vickers, circa 2010, age 82: Best known for playing a supporting role in the 1958 sci-fi flick "Attack of the 50-Foot Woman," Vickers starred in other movies and TV shows and was Playboy magazine's July 1959 Playmate of the Month. Vickers' body was found in her Los Angeles home in 2011, but investigators say she had been dead for nearly a year.

Farley Granger, March 27, age 85: This leading man starred in two Alfred Hitchcock movies, "Rope" and "Strangers on a Train." He later appeared on various TV shows, such as "Get Smart" and "Hawaii Five-O." He died of natural causes.

Cliff Robertson, Sept. 10, age 88: From John F. Kennedy Jr. to Buzz Aldrin, Cliff played a number of real-life icons and, in doing so, became one himself. He earned an Oscar for playing a mentally disabled bakery janitor in "Charly." In more recent years, he played Uncle Ben in the "Spider-Man" trilogy. He died of natural causes the day after his 88th birthday.

Poly Styrene, April 25, age 53: Born Marianne Joan Elliott-Said, Poly was the lead singer of pioneering punk rock band X-Ray Spex. Billboard once described her as "one of the least conventional front-persons in rock history, male or female." She died of breast cancer, which had spread to her spine and lungs.

Betty Garrett, Feb. 12, age 91: Betty starred in a number of MGM musicals during the late 1940s, including "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," "On the Town" and "Words and Music." During the 1970s, she played Irene on "All in the Family" and Edna on "Laverne & Shirley." She died of an aortic aneurysm.

Don Kirshner, Jan. 17, age 76: Known as "The Man With the Golden Ear," Dan managed and produced pop groups like The Monkees and The Archies. He later produced and hosted his own weekly live rock show called "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert." He died of heart failure.

Jackie Cooper, May 3, age 88: Jackie received a Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar nomination at age 9 for "Skippy," making him the first child actor to receive an Academy Award nomination. Jackie later played the Daily Planet editor in the "Superman" series. He died after a short illness.

Pinetop Perkins, March 21, age 97: This revered blues musician earned his name when he popularized "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie," which was composed by Pinetop Smith. He played with Earl Hooker and Muddy Waters. He holds the record for oldest recipient of a Grammy, which he won for his 2010 blues album with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, "Joined at the Hip."

Phoebe Snow, April 26, age 60: This bluesy singer-songwriter was renowned for her 1975 hit song "Poetry Man." She died from complications caused by a stroke she suffered in January 2010.

Gerry Rafferty, Jan. 4, age 63: This Scottish singer-songwriter saw success as both a solo artist ("Baker Street") and a member of Stealers Wheel ("Stuck in the Middle With You"). He died of liver failure.

Mia Amber Davis, May 10, age 35: Mia made her acting debut as Rhonda in "Road Trip." After the movie, she modeled and spoke publicly about self-esteem and being plus-sized on TV shows. She died of complications from routine surgery on her knee the day before.

Hugh Martin, March 11, age 96: He was a songwriter and lyricist whose work is celebrated each and every Christmas, for Martin penned the song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" for the 1944 musical "Meet Me in St. Louis." The same musical also featured Judy Garland singing another Martin classic: "The Trolley Song."

Maria Schneider, Feb. 3, age 58: The French actress best known for playing opposite Marlon Brando in the graphically sexual 1972 film "Last Tango in Paris," Schneider later became an advocate for job equality for female actors. She died of cancer complications.

Gary Moore, Feb. 6, age 58: Gary split his career between performing as a solo artist and playing guitar for Thin Lizzy. He died of a heart attack while on vacation in Spain.

Justin Tennison, Feb. 22, age 33: Justin was a member of the Time Bandit crew on Discovery Channel's Alaskan king crabbing reality show, "Deadliest Catch." Four days after returning from fishing, he died of complications related to sleep apnea.

Sol Saks, April 16, age 100: Though he began in show business as a child actor, Saks quickly found his calling as a writer. In 1964, Saks made his claim to fame when he created the TV series "Bewitched." He died of pneumonia.

Andrew Gold, June 3, age 59: During the 1970s, Andrew wrote and performed hit songs like "Lonely Boy" and "Thank You for Being a Friend." A Cindy Fee version of the latter would later become the theme song for "The Golden Girls." He died in his sleep from heart failure.

Eleanor Mondale, Sept. 17, age 51: Eleanor was the daughter of former Vice President Walter F. Mondale. She was an on-air personality for E! Entertainment, ESPN and "This Morning" on CBS. She died of brain cancer.

Vesta Williams, Sept. 22, age 53: This four-octave R&B diva had a string of hits in the '80s and '90s, including "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" and "Congratulations." Vesta also sang commercial jingles, including McDonalds' "Big Mac Scat" with Al Jarreau. More recently, she could be heard on KRNB 105.7 FM Dallas' morning show. Her cause of death is undetermined pending toxicology results, but it's suspected she overdosed on drugs.

Charles Napier, Oct. 5, age 75: Known for playing tough guys, Charles played Good Ol' Boys frontman Tucker McElroy in "The Blues Brothers" and Rambo's nemesis Murdock in "Rambo: First Blood Part II." The cause of death is unknown at the moment.

Leonard Stone, Nov. 2, age 87: Leonard is best known for playing Sam Beauregarde, the father of golden ticket-winner Violet in 1971's "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." He wrote a children's book titled Keepy the Kangaroo That Never Grew, which was published on Nook and Kindle in August 2011. He died of cancer.

Bil Keane, Nov. 8, age 89: Cartoonist Bil created one-panel comic strip "Family Circus" in February 1960 and continued drawing it for more than 50 years. "Family Circus" brought children Billy, Jeffy, Dolly, P.J. and their parents to nearly 1,500 newspapers across the country. He died of congestive heart failure.

Dolores Fuller, May 9, age 88: Dolores was the girlfriend and muse of director Ed Wood and appeared in a number of the his movies, including "Glen or Glenda" and "Jail Bait." She also wrote lyrics to a dozen Elvis Presley movie songs. She died of complications of a stroke.

Karl Slover, Nov. 15, age 93: While Karl is best known for playing the lead trumpeter in the Munchkin band in "The Wizard of Oz," the 4-foot, 5-inch actor also played a townsman and a soldier in the 1939 film. He died of cardiopulmonary arrest. Of the 124 actors who played Munchkins in the film, only three are still alive today.

Patrice O'Neal, Nov. 29, age 41: Patrice was a stand-up comedian known for his dark sense of humor. He was a regular guest on the "Opie and Anthony" radio show and starred in movies like "Head of State" and "Scary Movie 4." His final TV appearance was September's "Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen." A longtime sufferer of diabetes, Patrice died of complications of a stroke he had in October.